My millennium goal of finding a cure for AID/HIV relates to science 10 in the way in which the disease is in direct relation to cells and systems, how the immune system get’s corrupted and is no longer able to fight illnesses or diseases.The virus of HIV takes over the reproductive organisms of the cell and causes it to ultimatley destroy itself.

As well, the other day in class Ms. Toth was discussing how people with HIV or AIDS often die of other illnesses as HIV is what actually breaks down the immunity of the cell and causes people to become more susceptible to things such as pneumonia.

So there we have it, the direct relation of my millennium goal to the science 10 curriculum.

Today I found out about a pretty cool guy who has been doing reserach for AIDS/HIV to find a cure for it, and I realized that I still needed to do a little bio on a scientist in order to complete my blog. So here we go!

Bruce D. Walker, who happens to be an M.D, and a physician-scientest trying to combat aids, is currently leading a study and research adventure in order to “to understand how some rare people who are infected with HIV but have never been treated can fight the virus with their immune system.”. Dr. Walker also created a line of clinical and research facilities over in South Africa where

Since at medical school in 1980, he saw his first patient every with AIDS, but nobody had classified the illness yet- so he didn’t know what it was. But by the end of 1981, research had found that, indeed- AIDS/HIV destroys the CD4 T cells that help to body to stay strong from illnesses and diseases.

AIDS has only gotten worse, currently more than 40,000 new cases of HIV occur in the United States every year. And now, the epidemic has taken a turn for the worst in Africa, where almost 5.5 million people currently have HIV.

Bruce D. Walker has been able to find various strategies and ways that the virus uses to kill off immune cells. He also “has studied, on a small scale, how certain infected people can evade viral destruction. At Massachusetts General Hospital, he directs the Partners AIDS Research Center, a research, education, and training program that aims to enhance clinical care of HIV-infected persons internationally, and to develop new ways to fight HIV.”

An article on him also states that:

“After more than 25 years battling AIDS, Walker remains optimistic. He hopes his research will finally lead to a vaccine and better treatments. He also hopes his work in South Africa will continue to prevent new infections and allow infected people there to live fruitful lives, lives that otherwise would have ended prematurely.”

This is an excellent documentary aboout “The Origin of AIDS”, in which the film describes the origin of AIDS/HIV and excactly the effect from these terrible diseases. The film discusses “A contreversial take” on what happened then, and what is still occuring in our world here today.

AIDS is caused by HIV right? Right. Now, this disease was originated in primates in Africa, and was later transfered to humans in the late 19th century. But, how did it grow into the epidemic it has become today?

AIDS was actually origniated long, long ago first found in primates and monkeys in Sub-Saharan Africa was later tranfered to humans during the 19th and 20th century. There were two different types of AIDS at that point, HIV-1 and HIV-2. The first is a much more easily transmitted, and in turn has become the cause of the global epidemenic that AIDS has become throughout our world and lives today. HIV itself, actually evolved to humans through the spread of SIV, which is Simian immunodefinciency virus. Pretty cool hey? But HIV-1 was actually transferred from chimps and gorillas to humans through the SIV strain of illness. And with most diseases, from eating food contaminated by chimps or close contact with them, AIDS/HIV was eventually transferred to humans, and it has since then spread as we know it does, through needles and sex- and it has rapidly increased over time due to lack of a vaccination.

To find out some more details about this mess check out the link sourced below.